Weekly News

Volkswagen has previewed technology for the safety of future cars by showcasing interactive lighting concepts that could offer greater communication between other road users and pedestrians.

Presented at VW’s Center of Lighting Excellence workshop in Wolfsburg, Germany, the innovative technology in the front and rear light clusters projected 3D holograms onto the road to display information.

Using micro-pixel HD lights, which have up to 30,000 light points, the vehicle was able to project arrows from the front of the vehicle to signal which way it is about to turn. Optical Lane Assist projects lanes in front of the vehicle to offer drivers a visual guide to how wide their vehicle is against the road, which is useful for those towing caravans.

With an eye on autonomy, Volkswagen has identified how lighting can play an important role in safety, in particular using light to show other road users and pedestrians that the driverless vehicle has seen them, and signal intent.

One concept shown was a vehicle with displays on the front and sides that is able to project images and icons to communicate with pedestrians, such as letting them know it is safe to cross.

Volkswagen has said will push the development of the lighting technology forward at its Wolfsburg plant, testing the concepts to bring the systems to the road.